Time-lock



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet. 1. G. M. BALL.

TIME LOOK. NO. 6033985. Patented May 10, 1898.

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TIME LOOK.

No. 603,935. Patented May 10,1898.

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CORNELIUS M. BALL, OF OLIOVILLE, KENTUCKY.

TIME-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 603,935, dated May 10, 1898.

Application filed ly 2 9, 1 8 9 6.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CORNELIUS M. BALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Olioville, in the county of Lawrence and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Time-Locks, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure I is a view of the inner face of the interior section of the mechanism of my improved time-lock; Fig. II, a view of the first plate-section adjoining the interior section; Fig. III, the second plate-section Fig. IV,the third plate-section, to which the clock mechanismis attached Fig. V, substantially similar to Fig. I, showing the locking-bolt retracted and the consequent liberation of the latch-bolt; Fig. VI, a top view showing the relation of the above-mentioned parts; Figs. VII, VIII, and IX, detail views; Fig. X, a front view of a portion of the clock mechanism with additions required to effect the object of my invention; Fig. XI, a side view of the same, partly in section; Fig. XII, an enlarged sectional detail of the drum with certain mechanical adjuncts; Fig. XIII, a view of the notched wheel for regulating the striking mechanism, and Fig. XIV a segmental device for excluding the striking-hook from the deep notches of the above mentioned wheel. Fig. XV is a front view of the clock mechanism, the dial being removed.

The object of my invention is to provide a reliable time-lock whereby the doors of safes.

may be securely fastened for any predetermined period of time within the limit of seventy-two hours. At the expiration of the fixed limit the clockwork and its supplemental mechanism will withdraw the main bolt and at the same time automatically liberate a cooperating latch-bolt which may then be withdrawn by its own knob.

The invention furthermore provides means for doubling or trebling the period of time for which the lock may be originally set by turning an outside knob which at a certain point will bring intoaction a device which will positively look a knob-spindle in a position in which it will remain until released by the regular action of the clock mechanism. It will be also shown that if desired the hour Serial No. 600.863. (No model.)

ble may be arranged to coincide with the schedule time between stations, so that if the train should be attacked by robbers at an intermediate point the agent in charge can instantly prolong the limit of time without opening the safe, and thereby make it impossible for any one to gain access to the contents. It is obvious that while an ordinary pendulumclock movement may be adapted for stationary safes a lever movement is required for those which are design ed for railway expresscars.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the main section of the lock proper, B the first section-plate, O the second, D the third, and E the clock-casing, this succession being clearly indicated in Fig. VI.

1 indicates the main locking-bolt, the rear extremity of which has a stem 2 projecting into an aperture and is normally held in locked position by a spring 3. The upper edge of this bolt near the forward end has a detent 4,which is engaged by the dog 5 when the bolt is retracted, as shown in Fig. V. A vertical shoulder 6 is formed on the rearward portion of said bolt, the use of which will hereinafter be shown. The latch-bolt 7 is reduced in the rear and provided with rackteeth engaged by a pinion 8, having a shaft 9 extending through the lockwork and door of the safe and terminating in a knob 10. (See Fig. VI.) A pivoted dog 11 engages a detent 12 on the latch-bolt only when the locking-bolt is advanced. This dog is normally pressed downward by a spring 13. The upper dog 5 is provided with a lateral projection 14, whose function will hereinafter appear. A second knob-spindle 15 has near its inner end a locking-drum 16 and on its extremity a wrist-plate 17. Extending from this plate to the drum is a pin 18 and an oppositely-projecting pin 19, both of which will be again referred to.

In Fig. II it will be seen that the plate 13 has Openings respectively adapted to the movement of various parts. One of said openings contains a device 20, the purpose of which is to lock the knob-shaft 15 at certain intervals. The form of said device is clearly seen in Fig. VII, showing a lateral catch-leg 21, which at times is drawn into engagement with the detent of the drum 16,as shown in FigVIII. This device is drawn in successive steps by the pin 18 engaging the teeth as the drum 16 is revolved. When the third tooth has been engaged, the locking-lug is drawn into the detent and the spindle cannot be revolved in either direction from the outside of the safe. The device is independently adjustable from the inside, the safe being open, by manipulating the pointer-knob 22, so that any one of the teeth may be set in the path of the pin 18, thus bringing the locking-lug more or less close to the drum-detent. The pointer of the knob 22 agrees with a scale of figures corresponding with the teeth.

Referring now to Fig. III, plate 0 is shown, having an elongated irregular opening containing a toothed slide 23,wl1ich is also shown in plan, Fig. IX. This slide has two groups of teeth, the forward one of which is engaged by the auxiliary mechanism of the clockwork, as hereinafter described, and the rear group is engaged by the pin 19, projecting from the wrist-plate. The purpose of the slide 23 is to lift the dog 5 above the detent 4 of the locking-bolt. As shown in Fig. V, the dog is depressed into engagement, and in Figs. I and III it is elevated. In Fig. III the toothed slide is shown in position to keep the dog elevated by engagement under the lateral projection 14.

Reference will now be made to the clockwork and its auxiliary mechanism.

On Sheet 3, 24 represents the shaft which actuates the striking mechanism. For the purpose required by this invention this shaft is extended through openings in the plates B O D and terminates in a socket-bearing 26. (See Fig. XII.) A cam 27 is loosely fixed on said shaft and has two rigid pins 28, whose outer extremities are rigidly attached to a swivel-bearing 29, so that the latter,with the cam 27, is loose on the shaft. The opposite side of the cam, however, carries a pawl 30, which engages a ratchet-wheel secured tightly on the shaft. This arrangement allows the shaft to be freely turned in the proper direction for winding the mainspring without forcing the cam to revolve. The latter performs its function only in the direction of unwinding the spring.

31 indicates a wheel integrally connected by a sleeve 32 to a wheel (See Fig. XII.) The notched portion of the wheel 31 is clearly shown in Fig. XIII.

34 indicates a segment -wheel separately illustrated in Fig. XIV. A portion only of this segment-wheel is cogged to correspond with and 41.

the adjoining wheel 31, which is kept in frictional contact with the former by a spring 35.

36 indicates the ordinary master-wheel on the striker-shaft and is provided with the usual pawl and ratchet. On the trundleshaft 37 is a tight gear-pinion 38, which meshes with the wheel 33 and operates as a differential gear, causing the double wheels 31 and 33 to revolve at exactly twice the rate of the master-wheel 36, the sleeve being loose on the shaft 24. The result of this arrangement will be duly set forth in connection with the detailed description of the operation of the lock. A small shaft 39 is journaled in bearings 40 The inner end carries a small miterpinion 42, which engages the cogged section of the segment 34. Midway on this shaft is an exactly similar pinion which engages a vertical bevel-wheel 43 twice the size of the pinion. The shaft 44 of said wheel extends through the clock-dial 45 and carries an index 46, which traverses a graduated segment 47. (See Fig. IV.) The graduations on this segment-scale correspond with the notches in the wheel 31 (see Fig. XIII) and also with the cogs of wheel 34. The small shaft 39 is turned by a milled knob 48, which is withdrawn when it is desired to disengage the rear wheels, it being noted that the gears engage only when the segment 34 is to be adjusted in relation to the cogs on wheel 31.

49 shows a lever which engages with the wheel 31. The notch 50 in wheel 31 will be regarded as the initial point from which an adjustment is made. The said lever 49 is secured to a rock-shaft 50, located below the escapement-wheel shaft. Also secu red to said shaft 50 is a rod 51, having its outer or free end bent at an angle and adapted to engage with a notched wheel 52, and thereby hold the lever 49 in engagement with the notch in wheel 31.

The numeral 53 designates a trip-rod secured to the rock-shaft and is operated by the striking mechanism of the clock to turn the rock-shaft and throw lever 49 and rod 51 out of engagement with their respective notches in wheels 31 and 52. Wheel 52 will then make a half-revolution, when the bent end of rod 51 will fall into the other notch of said wheel, allowing lever 49 to dropdown and engage with another notch in wheel 33.

In describing the operation of the mechanism it will be assumed that the safe is looked, as shown in Fig. I, both bolts being engaged.

Before the door was closed we will assume that it was determined to release the-bolts in five hours. The operator turns the small shaft 39, causing the cogged extremity of the segment to shift four cogs to the left, thus uncovering four notches in the upper extremity of the segment in addition to the notch 02, in which the hook 49 is initially engaged. The gear-wheel 43, which moves the index, will then point to the fifth notch on the visible dial, thereby indicating the status of the adjustment, and the shaft 39 being withdrawn from engagement the door is closed, (the bolts being retired,) the spindle is revolved, the pin 18 moves the device 20 forward, and at the same time the pin 19 on the wrist-plate 17 engages a tooth on the slide 23, and the projection 14 moves upward and lifts the dog 5 from the detent. The bolt being thus set free will be shot forward by the springs. The latch-bolt being then thrust forward by its spindle will be engaged by the dog 11, and the locking operation is accomplished. The hook 49, resting initially in the notch 50, will be raised inone hour. The notched wheel being thus set free will advance one degree and the hook will drop into the succeeding notch. This operation will be repeated. Duringthe fifth hour the hook will occupy the notch, as shown in Fig. X,

and at the termination of that hour the hook.

ment will continue until the master-wheel revolvesand returns to the initial notch 03. This revolution of the shaft causes the cam 27 to engage the shoulder of the locking-bolt and force it back, when the dog5 will engage and the latch-bolt will be coincidently released and may be withdrawn by its knobspindle.

By means of the differential gear between the master-wheel 36 and the twin wheels 81 and 33, the former with its shaft being revolved only half the number of times, it follows that the two cam projections, being diametrically opposite in relation to the shaft, will effect the release of the locking-bolt on two consecutive occasions at one revolution of the shaft, thereby doubling the operative period which will be secured by one winding of the mainspringi. e., assuming that the master-wheel will revolve twelve times after one winding the two cams operating respectively at each half-revolution will. effect a release of the locking-bolt twenty-four times.

In order to indicate the codperative rela tion of the wheels engaged in the clock-movement, it will suffice to say that 31 is provided with twenty-four teeth, 34 has twenty-six teeth, and 33 and 36 have each seventy-eight teeth. Tight gear pinion 38 has fourteen teeth. 36 has fifty-six teeth. The two miterpinions on shaft 39 have each twelve teeth. Pinion 43 has twenty-f0ur teeth. The remaining wheels are made to correspond in such a manner as to execute the desired movements, as herein described.

What I claim as new is- 1. In atime-lock of the character described the combination of the main bolt, atime mechanism connected therewith for operating the same at a predetermined time, and a cooperating locking-latch, and means for operating the same, substantially as specified.

2. In a time-lock of the character described,

the combination with the main bolt, having a shoulder and a stem at the rear or outer end and coiled spring encircling said stem, of the locking-drum, the spindle on which it is mounted the wrist-plate the pin secured thereto, the toothed slide, with which said pin is adapted to engage and the notched leg with which said drum is adapted to engage and a clock mechanism for retracting said bolt, substantially as specified.

3. In a time-lock of the character described, the combination with the main bolt having a shoulder and a stem at the rear or inner end, the coiled spring encircling said stem, the detent near the front end of said bolt, the locking-drum the wrist-plate and pins, the toothed slide having a notched leg and an operating-knob and the pivoted dog engaging with the detent of the bolt and provided with a projection, of the slide having a series of notches, the front ones of which are adapted to be engaged by a connection from a clock-movement and the rear ones by one of the pins of said wrist-plate, and the clock mechanism for operating said main bolt and said last-mentioned slide, substantially as specified.

4. In atime mechanism of the character described, the combination with the main bolt, having a shoulder and stem at the inner end, a coiled spring encircling said stem and a clock mechanism for retracting said bolt, of the toothed latch-bolt, the pinion engaging therewith and its operating-spindle the detent on said latch-bolt and the pivoted springdog engaging therewith and operated by the retraction of the main' bolt, substantially as specified.

5. In a time mechanism for time-locks, the combination with striker-shaft, extending through the casing, the cam loosely mounted thereon, the pins connected with said cam, the swivel-bearing to which said pins are secured, the pawl carried by said cam and the ratchet-wheel secured to said shaft engaging therewith, of the sleeve loose on said shaft, the wheels formed integral therewith, the segment-wheel on said sleeve the coiled spring, the master-wheel on said striker-shaft, the trundle-shaft, the gear-pinion thereon meshing with one of the wheels of said shaft, the pinion engaging with said segment-wheel, the pinion and bevel-wheel, the shaft extending through the casing, provided with an index, the graduated segment, and the jigger-hooks for releasing the striking mechanism substantially as described.

I testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand, this 3d day of June, 1896, in the presence of witnesses.

CORNELIUS M. BALL. 

